Judge lifts seal on Maxwell-related grand jury documents under Epstein Transparency Act
A New York federal judge ordered the release of grand jury materials linked to Ghislaine Maxwell, citing the Epstein Files Transparency Act despite her objections.
In Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska approved the Trump administration’s bid to make grand jury files related to Ghislaine Maxwell publicly accessible, invoking the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Maxwell, convicted in a sex-trafficking case, contested the unsealing with a wide array of legal arguments, all of which the judge found meritless. The materials, originally turned over by law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP during the federal probe that led to Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 arrest, will now enter the public record after appropriate redactions to protect victims.
The case revisits Maxwell’s 2016 depositions in a defamation suit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleged she was groomed for Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring. Federal prosecutors had previously accused Maxwell of perjury for denying knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, though those counts were later dropped. The ruling arrives amid ongoing scrutiny of the Epstein case, including congressional legislation aimed at full disclosure of related Justice Department records.
Why it matters
The unsealing provides public insight into the Epstein investigation and Maxwell's role, advancing transparency in a high-profile sex-trafficking case.
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